We never played many true covers. Some covers yes but very different from the original. We never had any more difficulty selling originals than covers. I think that was because of the really exceptional musicians I got to play with and the fact we were serious about entertaining. I ran the band like the business it was, developed a product that we could sell and made better money that most. That always worked until it did not. You know, band dramma, sex, drugs, and rock in roll. I never depended on any one thing to provide income.

I have not often been put off by my many "day jobs". There are several things I like as well as playing music. Flying aircraft for one thing, not that the pay was very consistant plus some of the flying should have gotton me killed. Running small ships which was great fun and paid well enough.

Nothing I ever did paid well enough until I stopped working for other people and started having other people work for me. Making money has never been easy for me at least but it has almost always been super fun.
Even today I can hardly sit still for daylight to get up and go do some sort of work, what ever that work may be.
Is some of it a PITB? Well yes, at times but that is also true of playing music. Nothing that can be done does not have some sort of down side along the way.
As soon as I left home at a very early age I decided I would never be poor again and I never have. I have been broke a time or two but never poor again.

I think most anyone can do most anything they want to in music or anything else for that matter if they are willing to work really hard. People with money are willing to do things that people without money are not willing to do.

There are things that one needs to understand about making money. Music does not pay as well as some other things even if you are Taylor Swift. Opportunitys to advance in the music world do not exist on every street corner and you have to make your own "luck" Many people who have become well known and made real money in the music business have had to do things most of us would never agree to do. Such a sleep on other peoples couch for years.

Go do what ever you really want to do and don't let anyone tell you that you can not and do not be discourged by the thousands of hours it takes to get where you want to go.

Billy

“Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig?
“Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”